11 Aug 2018

Big Bass in the dark

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Danny Watson of High Sreet Tackle Ilfracombe has taken the lead in Combe Martin SAC’s Lure Fishing Competition landing a fine bass of 70cm.

The fish was also weighed before being returned and scaled 8lb 9oz.

Danny has kindly agreed to award the prize of an HTO Nebula Lure Rod to the runner up in the competition if he wins as High Street Tackle are sponsoring the competition. So there’s a challenge to club members get out there and claim the top spot and save Danny the embarrassment of winning his own competition!!!

Congratulations go to Danny and Ross in getting out there after dark and having the confidence to cast a lure its something I have been intending to do for ages.

Danny story below :-

Absolutely bloody buzzing man! Got a message from fellow club member Ross Stanway – ” Did I fancy a quick lure session in the dark,” was hardly going to say no was I? He quickly got into a fish of about 2lb, we were pleased. Then about half an hour later all hell broke loose and I was into this beast! My second night time lure bass – measured 70cm and weighed 8lb 9oz! It went like a steam train taking line like mad – it was absolutely mental. Lots of people know I have banged on about doing this for ages – now I have and believe me it is pretty mad. I did not expect something like this! I can’t stop grinning!!!

The fish was tempted on a white do live stick – High Street Tackle sell Laggin Dragons which are very similar.

 

15 Jul 2018

Lynmouth Open Competition Result

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The Lynmouth Open Competition was a week long event suggested by Lynton angler James Gubb Fradgley to run in conjunction with the Lynmouth Regatta and Maritime Festival. Promoted by North Devon Angling News and Combe Martin SAC the first three prizes were cash prizes of £100, £50 and £25. The proceeds were to be shared between Combe Martin SAC, Lynmouth Sailing Club and Lynton Primary School.

The presentation was held at The Ancient Mariner at Lynmouth where large crowds had assembled to celebrate with a party atmosphere prevailing as live music drifted  across the harbour.

The winning angler was Daniel Welch who caught a boat caught tope of 38lb 2oz, grey mullet of 4lb 7oz and a spotted ray of 4lb 8oz.  (296%)

In runner up spot was James Gubb Fradgley who caught a tope of 37lb 2oz, bull huss of 9lb 10oz and a small eyed ray of 9lb 10oz. (260%)

Very close behind in third place was Ross Stanway who caught a tope from the shore of 35lb 7oz, a bull huss of 8lb 10oz and a dogfish of 2lb 5oz. (259%)

The prize for the best specimen of the week went to Ross Stanway for his shore caught tope of 35lb 7oz.

A raffle was held at the presentation that boosted funds raised for the Lynmouth Sailing Club and Lyntom Primary School. Many thanks to the Ancient Mariner for hosting the weigh in.

Combe Martin SAC plan to repeat the competition next year encouraged by the enthusiasm of competitors. It is to be hoped that sponsors can be found to boost the prize table.

(Above)Ross Stanway(Left) and Daniel Welch at the presentation

 

 

9 Jul 2018

Lynmouth Open Fishing Competition

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There is still time to enter with a top prize of £100 Cash

James Gubb Fradgley with a tope of 31lb

Leader Board –

Dan Welch – pollock 8lb, spotted ray 4lb 8oz, smoothound 12lb 4oz all boat caught  – 238.334%

Ross Stanway – dogfish 2lb 5oz, bull huss 8lb 10oz, smoothound 7lb 8oz all boat caught – 190.72%

John Shapland – thin lipped mullet 3lb 10oz – 103.571%

James Gubg Fradgley – tope 31lb – 77.5%

13 May 2018

Putsborough Open 2018 Report

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Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs annual Putsborough Open has become a popular date on the local angling calendar and this years event attracted 49 competitors from all over the West Country. Once again the club were lucky to have good conditions with heavy rain that fell in some areas of North Devon skirting the beach. A heavy swell that pleased the surfers before darkness fell made fishing a little challenging at times but did not seem to deter the fish from feeding.

Each year it is good to see familiar faces on the beach and several commented to me that it was great to be there on such a night and to catch a fish would surely be a bonus. The fishing proved to be productive for some with small eyed ray, bass, smoothound, turbot and dogfish caught from all along the beach.  No exceptional specimens were caught this year to match previous catches that have included double figure small eyed ray, tope to over forty pounds, blonde ray to over 10lb and huss and conger into double figures.

The winner of this years competition was Ross Stanway with a dogfish of 2lb one of several he landed that also won him the pool for the best brace with his second dogfish weighing 1lb 14.5oz.

The event was generously sponsored by Sakuma and Ilfracombe High Street Tackle enabling the top twelve anglers to walk away with a fine array of tackle in addition to the £100 first prize and £50 second prize in cash.

The top twelve were :-

1st  – Ross Stanway – dogfish 2lb

2nd – Andrew Atkinson – small eyed ray – 6lb 10oz

3rd – Ross Stanway – dogfish 1lb 14.5oz

4th – Julian Druce – bass 5lb 1oz

5th – Gary Andrew – small eyed ray – 6lb 1oz

6th – 7th Dan Welch & Ross Stanway – dogfish 1lb 13oz

8th – 9th – Gareth Pike & Andrew Clements  – dogfish 1lb 12oz

10th Joe Toop – small eyed ray – 5lb 11oz

11th – 12th Colin Emery & John Stanway – dogfish 1lb 11oz

The club would like to thank the owners of Putsborough beach for allowing us to hold the event and I would like to thank all those who made the effort to come and fish many traveling a good distance to be there. A special thanks to all who have sent me pictures of the event including the stunning image of two anglers admiring the setting sun taken by Callum Gove.

 

Jack Phillips

 

10 May 2018

Top Prizes in the Weekends Putsborough Open

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(Above) Some of the prizes up for grabs at the Putsborough Open this weekend.

Combe Martin Sea Angling Club

Presents Our

Putsborough Sands

Open Fishing Competition 2018

Saturday May 12th

Fishing From 9.30pm to 1.30am

Book In From 8.00pm to 9.00pm

Weigh In By 2.00am

Cash Prizes Of £100 & £50

Sakuma, High Street Tackle,

And Many Other Donated Prizes

2 Rods, 4 Hooks, Specimen Sizes

Entry £5 plus £1 Pool Best Brace

Phone Nick 814703 Or Wayne 850586

For More Details Please Check www.cmsac.co.uk Or Our Facebook Page

Please Respect Putsborough & Remove All Litter

7 May 2018

SEA ANGLING ROUND UP

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It seems that summer fishing is on its way with smoothound moving into their summer haunts and putting bends in anglers rod at last after what has been a difficult spring. There have also been a few bass tempted from marks around Ilfracombe with fish tempted on lures in the clearing water.

Bideford Monthly Rover results

1st  Andrew Clements wrasse 4 lb 9oz         91.250%

2nd Terry Dymond  smooth-hound 8 lb 8oz  85%

3rd  Taz Watton thornback 7 lb 1oz              78.472%

Appledore Shipbuilders Rover

Smoothound dominated the results for Appledore Shipbuilders with Michael Toogood securing top spot with a fine hound of 14lb 2.75oz.

1st    Michael Toogood   smoothound 14lb 2 3/4oz

2nd   Kevin Pike  smoothound 9lb 15 1/4oz

3rd    Jazza John   smoothound 9lb 1/2oz

Junior angler Jack Pike set a new Junior Club Record with a hound of 13lb 7 5/8oz.

The coming weekend sees Combe Martin SAC hosting the annual Putsborough beach open. The warmer condtions should have brought small eyed ray into the shallows where they feed primarily on sandeels.

Combe Martin Sea Angling Club

Presents Our

Putsborough Sands

Open Fishing Competition 2018

Saturday May 12th

Fishing From 9.30pm to 1.30am

Book In From 8.00pm to 9.00pm

Weigh In By 2.00am

Cash Prizes Of £100 & £50

Sakuma, High Street Tackle,

And Many Other Donated Prizes

2 Rods, 4 Hooks, Specimen Sizes

Entry £5 plus £1 Pool Best Brace

Phone Nick 814703 Or Wayne 850586

For More Details Please Check www.cmsac.co.uk Or Our Facebook Page

Please Respect Putsborough & Remove All Litter

25 Apr 2018

Young Ollie Boats best of the day

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Ian Laird and Ali Laird organized a four hour trip off Minehead with Michael Webber Griffiths skipper of Teddie Boy Charters. They enjoyed sport with ray, smoothound and the inevitable dogfish.The best specimen of the trip was a small eyed ray of 9lb 5oz and was boated by young Ollie Laird. The ray gives Ollie an excellent chance to retain the specimen trophy for the best fish caught by a Junior in CMSAC.

These short four trips are excellent for young anglers who might find a full eight hour trip too much.

Ollie Laird 9lb 5oz small eyed ray

16 Apr 2018

Fine rockling sparks ID debate

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Combe Martin SAC member Kody Chugg landed this fine rockling of 1lb 10oz during a session at a North Devon Rock mark. Kody asked me to identify if the fish was a three bearded rockling or a shore rockling. My immediate response was that it is a three bearded rockling based on the colour of the fish and its size that would be a potential British Record if it was a shore rockling. As another angler muted the possibility of it being a shore rockling I referred to Alwyne Wheelers excellent reference book’ Key to Fishes of Northern Europe. The key distinguishing points are number of rays on the pectoral fins, the 3 bearded having 20 to 22 and the shore rockling 15 to 17. Having tried to enlarge the picture of the fin I can only make out around 17 rays. The eye position points to it being a 3 bearded. As there is small element of doubt I have sought expert advice and will report on findings later. This highlights the need to take numerous close up pictures if there is any doubt about a species of fish caught.

Kody also landed this bull huss on a recent trip.